Lasting gauge



Dec. 25, 1934. AA J. BRAUER Er ,M 1,985,310

LASTING GAUGE Filed Aug. 15', 1952 2 sheets-sheet 1 |l 'I'|l s'l'i'l;a

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Dec. 25, 1934. A. J. ABRAUER Er A1.

LASTING GAUGE 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Aug. 15, 1952 Patented Dec. 25, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Louis, Mo., assignors to Brauer Bros., Inc., St.A

Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application August 15,

Claims.

This invention relates generally to the manufacture of shoes and particularly to a method of gauging lasts whereby proper alinement of an upper on the last in the manufacture of shoes is facilitated and accuracy of fitting obtained. This application is in part a continuation of our prior co-pending application, which matured into Patent No. 1,947,246, granted February 13, 1934.

In the manufacture of shoes, as heretofore practiced, an upper is assembled upon the last with an insole and by use of a lasting machine a pulling-over operation is accomplished, it having heretofore been the practice that the operator pull the upper as far as would permit without setting up severe strains in the leather of which the upper is composed. It is well known that different grades of skins or fabrics from which shoes are fabricated have different degrees of Velasticity and consequently the final position of an upper of one kind of material on the last is often considerably different from the nal position of a different kind of upper; likewise the nal position of a lasted upper with reference to its' last has heretofore varied considerably depending upon the eye of the operator. Consequently in View of the fact that the extent of the pulling operation has heretofore been determined entirely by the operator, there has been considerable variance in the opening sizes, as well as the vamp height of shoes of a particular style and size. Such accuracy as has heretofore been obtainable, particularly with reference to the opening length of a shoe, has been made possible through sheer guess-work and had depended, to a large extent upon the skill of the operator who performs the pulling-over operation. It is among the objects of the present invention to so gauge the usual shoe making lasts that the guess work is removed from the pulling-over operation and to provide defi- 40 nite marks by which the pulling-over and other lasting operations may be gauged so that accuracy of tting and alinement of an upper on a last is facilitated.

An object of the present invention generally stated is to provide a last withfsuitable instrua mentalities whereby the position ofA an upper may be gauged thereon.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for gauging lasts in acto the differential between the grading scales of lasts and patterns.

A further object of this invention is to provide a last with definite gauging marks, the positions of which are arrived at in accordance with the Sizes cordance with the sizes thereof and with reference 1932, Serial No. 628,856

of the lasts and through a coordination of the conventional last and pattern gradations.

A more specic object of this invention is to provide a last witha back height gauging mark and with an indicating member having thereon a 5' series of marks, the member being positioned with reference to the back height indicator and in accordance with the sizes of the lasts and the respective marks being positioned with reference to each other in accordance with the customary 10 differential of vamp heights among various styles of` shoes. f

A further specific object of this invention is to provide an instrument for gauging the position of the throat line of shoes, the inherent construction 15 of which is such as to prevent visibility of a mark fixed at a corresponding position upon a last.

Other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description is read in connection with the accompanying 20 drawings, in which:

Figure lis a side elevation of an apparatus suitablefor gauging and marking lasts in acc lrdance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a last marked in 25 accordance with the present invention by the apparatus shown in Figure 1".

Figure 3'is a perspective view of an indicating member suitable for and adapted to be attached to the last of Figure 2 in accordance with the 30 mark made thereon.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a last provided with the indicating member of Figure 3 and having assembled thereon an upper.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a last having 35 assembled thereon an upper of the Oxford type and illustrating a different form of indicatingl member.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken through the last of Figure 5 and showing the mounting for the 40 indicating member. y

Figure 7 is a detail view of the indicating member or gauging instrument shown in Figures 5- and 6.

Figure 8 is a detail view of a fitting element 45 for the instrument of Figure 7.

In accordance with this invention generally stated, indications are provided in the back and also along the cone of lasts whereby the completed uppers may be gauged with reference to the 50 last during the pulling-over operation and before the upper is secured in position with reference to the last. The positions of the respective marks at the back and also on the cone of the last are, in accordance with the present invention, deter- 55 mined in accordance with the size of the shoe and by coordination of the last and pattern gradations. By thus coordinating the last and pattern gradations, it is possible to ascertain the correct opening length for a particular style of a certain size shoe. By mathematical deduction and by coordinating the scales of last and pattern gradations, the dierence in opening length for the .next size shoe of that particular style may be readily ascertained. t

' To more fully illustrate the method of determining the position of the indications on the back and cone parts of the last whereby the upper may be gauged, the procedure in gauging lasts for womens shoes adapted to receive a 19/8 heel will be described. lasts for womens shoes are graded regularly 1/3" in overall length to each size. 'Ihis is usually referred to as the stick length and is the distance between the toe and the most remote -tpart on the curvature of the back. As to height at the back or heel end, these lasts are conventionally graded 1/12" to each size.

A diierent scale of gradations is, however, adopted and conventionally followed with reference to patterns for such shoes. Vamp patterns are graded 1/8" for a whole size. Quarter patterns are graded regularly 1/16" to the whole size at'the back seam.

Since the stick length of lasts vary 1/3" per whole size, while vamp patterns vary 1/8" per whole size, and since the difference between the 'vamp length and the stick length corresponds to the length of the opening which will exist between the throat of the shoe and the back seam, it is apparent that the opening length varies per whole size the diierence between 1/3" and l/8". This differential may be determined to be 5/24" per whole size or 5/48" per half size.

To illustrate more fully, the -proper opening length for a size 4 pump may be, by experiment or in any suitable manner to assure proper iltting, determined to be, for instance 6%". The overall stick length of a size 4' last is, however 9%" so that 3" is left for the vamp length. The height at the back seam is 2". From these basic dimensions, corresponding dimensions for the same style shoes may be readily determined for all other sizes. The following table illustrates a determination of these dimensions for sizes 3, 3 1/2, 4, 41/2, and 5:

From the above it will be observed that the length of the opening varies 5/48 per half size graduation whether up'or down, while the back height varies l/32" for each half size variation.

Having thus determined for a particular size shoe the proper back height and also the proper openinglength for a particular style, forl instance pumps, suitable marks or indications may be made at appropriate places on the last whereby to gauge the upper during the pulling-over operation. In cccordance with the present invention a suitable mark or indicant whereby to gauge the back height is placed at the back of a last at a distance from the heel plate thereof arrived at in accordance, with the foregoing description. From this mark or indicant, the appropriate opening length may be gauged in order to determine the position for a suitable mark or indicant to be placed on the cone of the last whereby the throat portion of the shoe may be gauged. 'I'he appropriate length for the opening for the particular size shoe may be arrived .at in accordance with the procedure above described. Having thus arrived at the proper positionsfor the gauging indicant for a particular size of, for instance pumps, any number of subordinate indicants may then be placed on the last, each at a predetermined distance from the indicant first formed. Such subordinate indicants may be understood to represent points to which uppers for diierent styles of shoes of the same size should be pulled. For instance, if the first mark is determined with reference to the proper opening length for pumps, it will be understood that the position of the throat line on, for instance straps, will be lower while on the other hand the position of the throat line on, for instance, gores will be somewhat higher. The difference, however, between the proper opening length for a strap and the proper opening length for a pump is, however, the same no matter what size the shoe may be; likewise with other types of shoes; the vamps being simply a constant distance longer or shorter regardless of size. In accordance with the present invention, therefore, the main or reference mark having been arrived at, a suitable indicating member which may be in the nature of a plate may be atlixed to the cone of the last, and have thereon gradations corresponding to the various styles of shoes and designating points by which the uppers of such styles may be gauged during lasting. It will be understood that such plates will be identically thev same for every size shoe but the position of the plate will vary up and down on the cone of the last inaccordance with the size thereof.

The method of grading and marking lasts as just described constitutes the subject matter of applicants' copending application, Serial No. 732,042 led June 23, 1934 as a division hereof.

The distance gauged from the back height position may be represented mathematically as follows using for example a size 5 last, size 4 being the model size and referring to the above table:

Ci-SO where C is the opening length for a model size shoe (e. g., GMW); S is the number of half sizes above or below the model size (e. g. 2); and, O

, being the opening length variation per size (e. g.,

5/48"); the sign being plus pr minus according as the size of the last is greater or less than the model sizev (e. g., The point of reference may be established at the measured distance or in accordance therewith, asis the case when a plurality of subordinate indicants are provided as above described, or when the remote point is used. In the latter case a constant K will enter in as follows:

CiKiSO K being the difference between the proper opening length and the distance: established point of reference-back height; and the sign of K being negative when the point of reference is back of the forward terminus of the opening, and positive when in front. The `latter equation applies specifically to the embodiment shown in Figures 5 to 8 inclusive, as well as the plate shown in Figure 3.

When all the lasts of a shoe factory have been provided with such indicating members, the positions having been determined in accordance with' the procedure above described, it is apparent that the operatives who perform the pulling-over operations may gauge the extent of this operation by such members. All that the operative need know is the particular indication on the member to which the uppers of any lot of shoes are to be pulled. The various indications may be distinguished as by suitable characters or colors and it will be understood that in a lot consisting of but one style of shoes of sizes 2 to 8, the operative will pull the uppers on all shoes, regardless of size, to the same indication on the indicating member or plate. The operative need pay no attention to size since the position of the plate was initially determined with reference to the size of the last, and accordingly the plate provides a series of different indications to any one of which a lot of shoes consisting of various sizes may be lasted and whereby the proper gradation of opening lengths for corresponding sizes will be obtained with accuracy. 4

, Referring now particularly to the drawings for a detail description of an illustrative embodiment, there is shown in Figure 1 a device suitable for gauging the lasts in accordance with the procedure above described. Sucha device may compise a rail 1 having at each end thereof lips 2 by which the same may be suitably secured to a supporting structure as, for instance, a table 3. At one end of the rail 1 may be provided a depending leg 4 adapted to receive an L-shaped member 5 in slidable relation. It will be understood that the members 4 and 5 may be maintained in longitudinal alinement by a suitable tongue and grooved construction and a suitable clamping arrangement such, for instance, as a wing nut 6 on a screw 7 projecting through said members may be provided.

At the lower end of the L-shaped member 5 is a seat 8 upon which the heel plate of an ordinary last may be rested during the gauging operation. On the lower end of the leg 4 may be provided a suitable instrument 9 adapted to make an indentation in the back part of a last.

On the vertically extending portion of the L- shaped member 5 may be provided a suitable scale 11 for gauging the distance between the seat 8 and the pointed instrument 9. The indentation made by the pointed instrument 9 for a particular size last will be understood to represent the proper position for the top of the upper at that point. Accordingly, the graduations of such scale 11 will, in the case of womens shoes as above described, occur at intervals of Blf" since this is the pattern gradient for each half size, at this point. Such scale 1l, it will be understood, will cooperate with a suitable zero indication such as 12 on the stationaryA leg 4.. When the scales are thus arranged, it is apparent that the graduation opposite the zero mark 12 will indicatethe distance between seat 8 and the pointed instrument 9. When it is desired to gauge lasts, theparts may be adjusted in accordance with the appropriate back height for the particular size last which may be, for instance, in the case of a size 4, 2".

Suitably mounted to slide along the rail 1 is a rider 13 having a suitable clamping device as, for instance, a set screw`14 adapted to engage the surface of the rail 1. Depending from the rider 13 is a leg 15 having at the lower end thereof a cutting device 16 which may be in the nature ofa section of a saw-blade, the cutting portion of which extends in the direction of the seat 8 so as to cut directly into the cone of a last such as 17.

Along rail l is provided a suitable scale 18 which may be graduated in inches, taking as a point of reference the pointed instrument 9. The inch graduations along the scale 18 will be understood to be subdivided into forty-eighths inches, in order -that the appropriate length diii'erential of 5/48" per half size may be arrived at and the rider 13 set thereon accordingly.

When it is desired to gauge lasts the appropriate distance for the back height may be set on scale 11 and the rider 13 may be set at the proper opening length. In the case of size 4 womens lasts, the scale l1 will be set at 2" and the rider v13 will be set on the scale 18 at 61/8" in accordance with the dimensions given in the table on page 8. With the device thus set, a last 17 may be placed in positionwith the heel plate thereof upon the seat 8, (as indicated in broken lines) and the same forced backwardly against the instrument 9 whereby an indentation is made. An operator may now oscillate the toe of the shoe back and forth-about point 9 as a center and against the cutting edge of member 16 as indicated in full lines in Figure 1. In this manner a slight notch clearly shown in Figure 2 at 19 will be formed on the cone of the last and will be spaced at a distance from an indentation 21 made by the instrument 9, which distance will be a basic openingl length for the particular size last being operated upon and having been determined in accordance with the procedure hereinbefore described.

'Ihe graduations of scales 11 and 18 may if desired be indicated by the dierent shoe sizes to which they correspond. In the case of scale 18, however, provision should be made to accommodate slight changes in the basic opening length necessitated by diierent heel heights.

With the apparatus of Figure 1 thus set for a particular size last, any number of lasts of that particular size may then be gauged without disturbing the seating.

A suitable pin or other permanent indicator may be driven into indentation 21 which was formed by thefinstrument 9 and this will be understood to provide a back height indicator for all shoesv lasted upon that last regardless of their styles. A suitable indicating member or plate 22 illustrated in Figure 3 may be applied to the cone of the v-last positioned with reference to notch 19 made therein. For instance, member 22 may be driven into the last in such manner that the zero graduations will coincide with notch 19. The zero graduation will then indicate the throat line position to which certain style uppers, for instance, pumps are to be pulled. The end of the plate below the zero indication may be understood to represent the throat line position to which the uppers of another style, for instance, straps are to be pulled. Likewise with the graduations above the zero mark, which are for certain styles 'of shoes the opening length of which is shorter than the basic opening length for that size.

When it is desired to gauge lasts 'of a diierent size the parts of the device illustrated in Figure 1 may be correspondingly adjusted and after the `,position of indentation 21, a notch 19 has in each case been arrived at, a plate 22 may be applied. It 'will be understood that the plates 22 are the same for all sizes of lasts and that the difference in opening lengths for various sizes of shoes is the feature which determines the posi'- tion of the plate or member 22 with reference to indentation 21. A

In the manufacture of certain styles of shoes wherein the outside upper and lining are stitched or secured to each other flatly around the margin of the opening, the lining is, during the course of manufacture, permitted to extend upwardly for a substantial distance above the throat line. After the lasting operations are completed, the surplus lining material is trimmed from the shoe. In lasting uppers of this type, one of which is illustrated in Figure 4 and shown assembled .upon the last 17it is apparent that the indicating member or plate 22 is normally obscined by the lining extension such as 23. Under such circumstances, and in order to facilitate lasting of the shoe, a suitable window such as, for instance, 24 which may, however, be in the nature of a curved slit may be provided tangent to the throat line 25. Such window 24 will be understood to provide a peek hole through which the operator may view indicating member 22 and pull hisupper accordingly.

Mens and womens shoes which are of the Oxford type and provided withv tongues are obviously of such construction that an indicatingmember of plate such as 22 will be of no use in gauging the lasting operations, and accordingly suitable instrumentalities may be provided whereby a gauging member is permitted to overlle the upper after it is assembled on the last. An upper of this type is illustrated in Figure 5 in assembled relation upon a last 26 and a gauging instrument 27 is shown having an indicating mark 28 whereby the throat line of the upper may be gauged. It will be understood that the last 26 is provided with a suitable back height indicator 29, .the position of which may be arrived at in a manner similar to that which is hereinbefore described with reference to womens shoes. i

The last 26 may be gauged by a similar apparatus to that indicated in Figure l, and the proper position for the throat line or forward terminus of the shoe opening may be arrived at and a suitable notch or other mark formed as, for instance, at 30, Figure 6. The mark 30 will, however, be concealed from view by the upper when it is assembled thereon so that other means may be provided whereby the position of mark 30 will be transferred to a visible point by which the lasting operation may be gauged. Inorder to accomplish this, a suitable point of reference may be established elsewhere on the last, such point being accessible for reference when the upper is assembled on the last. This may be conveniently accomplished in the manner illustrated in Figurev 6, although it will be understood that other ponts of reference may be established from which a suitable gauging instrument may operate.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6, a hole 3l may be drilled into the cone of the last as illustrated, extending down to within a predetermined distance from the notch 30. It will be understood that a last 26 may be so supported with reference to a drill that the position of the bottom o f the hole may be accurately predetermined with reference to such mark 30. With the hole 31 having the position of the bottom thereof accurately determined not only withv reference to the mark 30, but also with reference to the back height indicator 29, it is apparent that the bottom 32 of this hole may be used as a point of reference from which a suitable r'nstrument may gauge the proper position for the throat line of a shoe. A suitable engaging socket as 33 may then be fitted in the bottom of the hole 31 and disposed to receive and accurately position a gauging instrument as, for instance, 27. The socket 33 is preferably provided with an engaging recess such as 35, and one end of the instrument 27 may be correspondingly shaped as at 38 in order to provide interlocking parts which will facilitate in the accurate positioning and lalinement of the instrument 27 with reference thereto.

The instrument 27 in the embodiment illustrated is of bight construction, having at one end 37 thereof a sight hole or other indication 28. There may, of course, be provided a series of such indications as 28 but in view of the fact that in shoes of this character there is practically no variation for styles, such series of indications will normally be unnecessary. 'I'he end 37 of the instrument 27 is preferably made sufiiciently resilient as to permit the same to take over the upper without marring the same, but to lay sufciently close to the upper'that the throat line may be gauged with accuracy through the sight hole or indicator 28.

In providing lasts for the manufacture of shoes of this character, it is apparent that after the holes 31 are accurately drilled and the sockets 33 seated at a predetermined distance from the notch or mark 30, arrived at as hereinbefore described, and in accordance with the size of the last, the gauging instrument 27 being removable may be kept in a convenient position at the lasting station whereby the operator, after inserting the assembled last and upper in the pulling-over machine, may insert the instrument 27 and pull the upper to such an extent that the throat line thereof will come into alinement with the sight hole 28. After having pulled the upper to this extent and secured the same, the instrument 27 may be removed from the particular last and the same instrument may b e inserted in the next last which comes to the operator regardless of what size it may be, it being understood that the size diiference has been taken care vlof in locating sockets 33 in the holes 31.

The indicating end 37 of instrument 27 may also be utilized as a guide for alining the upper transversely with the last. Some lasts are so made that the center line of the cone is displaced from the actual center line of the last and accordingly the center line of the lace stays of the shoes made thereon is similarly displaced. When this in intended, hole 31 may be drilled at the desired angle so that instrument 27 will indicate the proper direction for the center line of the lace stays.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the invention accomplishes its objects and that a definite mark or series thereof is positioned at the cone of a last with reference to a back height indicator and in accordance with the size of the last whereby the final position of the upper may be accurately gauged and a uniformity of opening sizes attained. It will be understood that the invention is not limited tov the specific details of construction or to the manufacture of the particular typos of shoes hereinbefore described for the purpose of illustration, but that the principles of this invention are applicable generally to the manufacture of shoes of all Furthermore, it is to be understood that such changes and modifications may be made to adapt the instruments, scalesand reference points to shoes of various types without departing from the spiritof this invention. I t is to be distinctly understood, therefore, that auch modifications and the use of such individual features and subcombinations of features as present themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of this invention are, although not specically described herein, contemplated by and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. The combination with a last, of a back height indicator, and an instrument having a part engageable with a reference point on the last and an indicating part adapted to overlie anupperassembled on the last.

2. 'I'he combination with a last, of a back height indicator, and an instrument having a part engageable with a reference point on the last'and an indicating part adapted to overlie an upper assembled on the last, said reference point being accessible for engagement and disengagement by the instrument while an upper is assembled on the last.

3. The combination with a last, of a back height indicator, a member mounted on the last and having an engaging part vin a position determined in accord-ance with the size of the last and with reference to said back height indicator, and an instrument engageable with said member and having an indicator thereon for locatinga shoe part.

4. The combination with a last; of a back height indicator, and an instrument having a part engageable with a reference point determined in accordance with the size of the last and an indicating part adapted to overlie an upper assembled on the last, said indicating part arranged to indicate the throat line position without reference to size when engaging said reference point.

5. The combination with a last, of a back height indicator, a socket seated in said last and accessible when an upper is assembled thereon, the position of said socket being determined in accordance with the size of the last, and an indicating instrument engageable with said socket and adapted when engaged therewith vto indicate a nal throat line position.

ARTHUR J. BRAUER. FREDERICK P. WAGNER. 

